It isn't exactly "full throttle," but the Boston Red Sox added an intriguing lineup reinforcement Friday.
The Red Sox have agreed to a minor-league contract with free-agent first baseman C.J. Cron, The Athletic's Chad Jennings and Ken Rosenthal report.
Cron, 34, is two years removed from a 2022 All-Star campaign in which he mashed 29 home runs and 102 RBIs. He hit 25 or more homers in four consecutive seasons from 2018 to 2022 (excluding the 2020 COVID-shortened season) while playing for the Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies.
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There's a reason why Cron is signing a minor-league deal, however: He tallied just 12 homers and 37 RBIs in 2023 while hitting .248, and his batting average dipped to .200 with the Los Angeles Angels after a midseason trade.
Cron is a low-risk, high-upside signing for the Red Sox, who need right-handed hitters to balance out a lefty-heavy lineup. That said, the team still needs more starting pitching if it wants to compete in 2024, and to this point, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and ownership haven't invested in that need.
